This invention relates to the manufacture of cigarettes having variable smoking characteristics, and particularly to apparatus for adjusting the dilution level of variable dilution cigarette after assembly.
It is known to produce variable dilution cigarettes having integral rotatable elements for controlling dilution. The rotatable element can be a rotatable band of tipping paper retained by stationary bands against axial displacement and having a slit overlying a slit in the filter plug wrap with which it can be rotated into and out of registry. Alternatively, it can be a rotatable section of the filter plug, carrying with it a section of tipping paper extending over a stationary section of the filter plug. The extending section of the tipping paper has a slit which overlies a slit in the plug wrap on the stationary filter plug segment. The slits can be moved in and out of registry by rotating the rotatable filter segment. Such a cigarette is described in copending, commonly-assigned United States patent application Ser. No. 429,392, filed Sept. 30, 1982, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,943, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
In the manufacture of these types of cigarettes, the slits on the tipping paper and plug wrap are most easily formed by simultaneously slitting both layers with a knife or laser beam. The cigarettes are therefore assembled initially with the slits fully in registry and with their dilution levels therefore adjusted to maximum dilution. However, for marketing or other reasons, it may be desirable to adjust the cigarettes to a minimum or intermediate dilution level before they are sold.
It is also known to produce cigarettes in which other smoking characteristics, such as flavoring and resistance-to-draw, are controlled by the rotation of an integral rotatable element. It may be desirable to adjust the position of the rotatable element in these types of cigarettes as well.
It is known to run such cigarettes past a skid plate which frictionally contacts the rotatable element to rotate it and break the perforations holding it in a fixed rotational position relative to the remainder of the cigarette. However, this does not allow for controlled rotation of the rotatable element to a desired position, and also applies translational forces which may damage the cigarette.